I have taken to the airwaves - along with industry colleagues - to try
to make the point that at no stage were any actual lobbyists
involved.

Having said that, recent events came as no surprise, and there will
undoubtedly be further stings and stories before the general
election.

I have consistently said that we are just one scandal away from
statutory regulation. Ironically, this current furore - with zero
involvement by lobbyists - may well be that one scandal. We should have
stayed ahead of the curve, and our destiny is now in the hands of the
political parties, who will be vying with each other to show how tough
they can be on lobbyists.